NEWS

On Wednesday, July 19th, BP Oddo joined with Holly Leicht, Former Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to cohost a symposium on Sandy recovery at Baruch College.

​At the symposium, BP Oddo and other experts discussed Leicht’s recently completed report of 41 recommendations for how government can improve disaster recovery and preparedness.

“When the ‘recovery’ is harder on those impacted by the storm that the actual storm itself, government has failed,” said BP Oddo. “If we don't change the process, the results will not change. Holly Leicht's white paper lays out specific improvements. Just as important, it should spark a longer, candid and productive conversation about how each level of government must improve in its response to the next storm, which must then yield change.”

“We can’t keep making incremental change, it’s just not acceptable,” noted Leicht. “Let’s make these improvements so that we don’t find ourselves in the midst of that again.”

The Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery, in partnership with Borough President James Oddo, have announced the procurement for new temporary housing for homeowners impacted by Hurricane Sandy who need to relocate while their homes undergo construction.HRO is calling on landlords throughout Sandy-impacted communities to offer available apartments for Build it Back applicants to temporarily rent. All landlords will be reimbursed up to designated rental amounts specified by Build it Back. Assisting families in finding temporary housing with allow the program to continue to accelerate construction as it moves aggressively towards Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal of having all Sandy homes complete by the end of the year. Landlords interested in helping can call Build it Back at 212-615-8329.“As we move forward towards the Mayor’s goal of completing Build it Back by the end of the year, we are taking unprecedented steps to assist homeowners needing to relocate due to construction,” said Amy Peterson, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery. “Building on the pilot program we launched with the Mayor’s Fund and NYDIS this past year, we will be vastly expanding our resources to help homeowners find temporary apartments and to help them with all aspects of the move-out process. Additionally, we are looking to partner with landlords in the community who can offer temporary leases. As we reflect on our New Year’s resolutions, we are calling on New Yorkers to make a renewed commitment to helping their Sandy-impacted neighbors.”“So much work has gone into the efforts to elevate and reconstruct homes affected by Sandy, and unfortunately the final obstacle in getting many people back home is finding them temporary housing while the work on their homes takes place,” said Borough President James Oddo. “Candidly, from a landlord’s point of view, short term leases are not ideal, but we are asking Staten Islanders who have the space to offer a little cup of kindness and make their vacant apartments available so those affected by Sandy can temporarily move in while their homes are reconstructed or elevated."

On February 24, Borough President James Oddo welcomed New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to Borough Hall for a frank conversation about Hurricane Sandy relief and the Build it Back Program.

"We’ve tried to pack in many meetings in 6 weeks here at Borough Hall but this was the most critical,” said Oddo. “Much of the 6 weeks has been staff and I dealing with the sins of the ’60s, ‘70s and 80s. I don't want to be a part of any further mistakes. There is an opportunity for us to transform communities. Today was about making sure this administration is here for Staten Islanders.”

Oddo has asked the Mayor to facilitate buying property from owners who lost homes and businesses, noting that the best way to help these people move on is with a check. “Acquisition for redevelopment is the best way to help now. Put a check in their hands,” he said. With the acquired property, redevelopment would need to be done smartly and with infrastructure suitable for the land.

On February 19, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he is pushing to secure $36 million in federal funding to construct a series of off-shore breakwaters and a living shoreline along the coast of Conference House Park that will reduce the risk of damage to homes and infrastructure along the South Shore of Staten Island during major coastal storms like Superstorm Sandy. The funding for this project would come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), a program funded by the Sandy bill that provides funds not just to rebuild infrastructure in the aftermath of a disaster, but to build back in a way that will prevent similar damage in the future.

Borough President James Oddo stood by Sen. Schumer during the announcement, committed to helping rebuild the South Shore – and all parts of Staten Island damaged during the storm and to preventing anything like that from ever happening again. “Parts of Staten Island are still reeling from the damage of Hurricane Sandy,” said Oddo. “While we continue to help these families rebuild, it’s imperative that we also take measures to prevent any future damage and devastation. Off-shore breakwaters would go a long way in protecting Tottenville in the future.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it is evident now more than ever that civilians will benefit from proper training on how best to assist their families and neighbors during emergencies or disasters.

The Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program, a new state program, will equip folks with the tools and resources to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to changing conditions.

The initiative, set to launch on Feb. 1 in New Dorp, will train 100,000 New Yorkers during 2014. The first session, sponsored by Borough President James Oddo and State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, will provide an introduction to responding to natural or man-made disasters, including developing a family emergency plan and stocking up on essential supplies.

A key component is the distribution of response kits, which include batteries, face masks, food bars, water bottles and a first aid kit, among other necessities. Every training participant will receive a free kit (maximum of one per family).

Training sessions will be led by the New York National Guard, working with experts from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' Office of Emergency Management and Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

New York State and the Borough President will offer a two-hour training session for residents on Saturday, Feb. 1 at New Dorp High School, 465 New Dorp Lane, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Due to limited space, participants should register in advance at http://www.nyprepare.gov/aware-prepare/nysprepare/